As I continued to read this fascinating interview, I realized how much meditation has to do with our journeys — into our minds and out again into the real world…and, the correlation between meditation and keeping our visions alive.

Creating plans from our visions

Meditating seems mysterious to many people, yet for me, meditation often means simply removing myself from all activity, finding a quiet place and closing my eyes to all the distractions surrounding me. Often, I consciously say to myself that I am going to meditate now, Vipassana style. Meditation is actually not meant to create anything, it is a space to be for spiritual introspection. I believe that going within allows us to journey into a vast soul space that provides a quietness that transcends our mind chatter. From that place, when we return to conscious action, we can see more clearly where our path lies, what steps to take as we create our present that will take us into the future.

Matthieu Ricard states, “…Why Meditate?…We have the potential to be more kind, to practice mindfulness, and to experience well-being but we only use a small fraction of the potential we have…so that’s what meditation is about: to cultivate the qualities that we have the potential for but that remain dormant, latent, unused, and to develop them to the best of our own potential.”

Embracing Ricard’s philosophy, I would like to create a bridge into the world of manifesting your vision, your dreams and goals. What if you were to write your vision on a big piece of paper and put it on the floor in front of you, and then meditate (in your own way) for at least 30 minutes. When your mind drifts away from the meditation, pick up your marker and draw, scribble, write whatever comes up for you. It doesn’t have to have anything to do with the original vision you already placed on the paper. This is just an exercise to expand your mind’s journey as you continue your plan of action.

Practical Spirituality — from vision to strategies and abundance of life  (Smiling to myself…I wanted to .com “practical spirituality” because that is how I think in terms of Vision Mapping Strategies, practical steps for the visions and goals we hold dear. Alas and alack, the term has already been taken by some brilliant person!) However, meditation and your vision maps, your life blueprints, go hand in hand — a door opening inside your mind with meditation, to taking whatever action is deemed necessary by you. And aside for all of the above, please remember to reach out and ask for support. You do not need to do this journey alone. Abundance is a state of mind, and there are many paths to contentment.  Spiritual insight + vision + passionate action =  well being

Creating a vision might seem challenging, and it could be if you don’t inject a large dose of imagination. This is one of my “clear vision” definitions: a conscious and systematic practice that can lead to accomplishing your desires and goals. Visions can be the original blueprint of the successful outcome to which you aspire. Let’s say that you have an idea that you’ve been carrying around with you for ten weeks or ten years.

Close your eyes and visualize this idea fully manifested. What are you doing, how are you being in this already completed vision? Don’t get stuck on any “how-to’s.” Those will come later after you have reached total clarity about what “it” is. The idea is to uncover all the detailed aspects of what the finished vision looks and feels like as though it were already completed. Have a big piece of paper and some markers in front of you so that as soon as you open your eyes, the ideas floating through your head can be put into the first action step, which is clarifying your goal or dream. Yes, I spoke about this in Part One, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to get clarity about the vision before you can begin a strategic plan of action.

Evidently, there will be a Part Three, because i’m still stuck on discovering and clarifying the original vision! Yes, I’m laughing at myself. Working with hundreds of people and my Vision Mapping Strategies process, I’ve discovered that the first two or three easel sheets of our sessions are all about getting clear for what wants to be manifested. “How to do it” actually comes easier and that happens with the latter pages. This is why I’m doing a little nagging about creating a clear vision.

Write your vision, your idea, your next step, your dream for the future, as if in the present, as if you are living it right now. Be expansive. There are no limitations. Do not let others qualify your dream. Ifs, buts, shoulds… have no place in your vision. This vision belongs to YOU!

Pretend, in your mind’s eye, you have magically arrived at the peak  of your mountain.  Sit there for awhile, let the stillness settle into your bones. Everything is already in place. It has already happened. Now, when you feel ready, play/draw/write what the manifestation of your dream looks like. When you feel clear about the vision itself, then you are ready for a strategic and exciting plan of action. Sometimes it helps to have someone support your journey. Let me know if I can be of service.

Remember: Vision + Action = Joy and Success. Your success is my passion!

Imagine yourelf shipwrecked on this deserted island, a fabulous vision running through your head, and here you are, shipwrecked with no boat, no paddle, no way to implement the ideas that are almost screaming to be manifested.

Well, life is sometimes like this — great vision, and no plan of action. People tell me all the time about their inventive concepts, and when I query them about how they’re going to make it happen, I’m usually met with blank stares. Are you one of the dreamers with no plan, or do you seriously want to create the success that you envision?

I’m going to share some of my vision mapping strategy tips with you, not all at once, but in small bites. And this is where I start my process with every individual, team or couple.

Create absolute clarity. Yup — it’s that simple! Well, it kind of is and kind of isn’t. Getting clear about the final vision is THE most challenging item on the vision mapping agenda. It’s interesting to note that gaining “clarity” might mean the original vision isn’t what the person ends up with for the ultimate vision. That’s why it’s so important to know exactly what it is. When you get very clear about the deired results, then you can plan and initiate the how to make the vision materialize.

Corral a helper who can help you brainstorm. Start with your end result. Draw a circle in the middle of a large piece of paper (I can be a nag for using easel paper so that you can expand into a larger space — literally and figuratively) and write the vision that you hold. Ask your helper (someone who can think outside the box and is in touch with their intuitive nature) to ask questions: why you arrived at this vision; the pieces that are working successfully for you now; skills and experiences that will be particularly useful; the time frame you see for the totally manifested vision, as though it were happening right now. All questions are valid. Get responses/whatevers onto the paper.

Check out the picture on my last post — Vision Mapping Strategies for the Immortal — if you want to see an example of what one page can look like. But everyone’s maps and strategies are totally different. I just want you to see how you can fill up the paper with ideas and move from one page to another. Scribble, draw, write…there are no rights or wrongs.

Design the dream first. I’ll write more about creating the vision in the next post. Remember that this is your dream, your goal, your life. Pick up that invisible paddle, knowing that you will arrive at your destination after you have gained clarity and focus and completed an exciting plan of action. This is a process, just like all other journeys you’ve undertaken.

If you get stuck, don’t stay there. Stuckness is a roadblock to success. Don’t be bashful about calling me if you need a nudge in just a couple of minutes. Remember, vision without action goes nowhere. My passion is your success!

“Amortality…Why acting your age is a thing of the past,” a recent article by Catherine Mayer in Time magazine, explains why some of my clients are not only in their 30′s, but stretching into their 70′s and beyond. Mayer states that “amortality” is a term she used to categorize our current trend of living agelessly. Of course, we are not immortal; however, positive lifestyle changes, better medical care and an upbeat philosophy all contribute to our lengthening lives.

By 2050, men and women of 60+ will constitute 27% of the entire U.S. population. You may look at 2050 as being forever, but i’ll let you in on a little secret from my decades of wisdom: Life is what happens when you’re busy making plans, and the time can slip away faster than you imagine. In fact, you may already be collecting Social Security income…or perhaps you’re a young one transitioning careers.

Do we need a strategic plan of action as we age? Well, yes and no! It depends on your financial situation, energy, whether or not you are fully retired…and lots of other personal ingredients. Generally, regardless of age, there are lots of questions to ask. What is the dream that you hold in your heart and mind right now? How much time can you devote to making the vision manifest? Do you have adequate finances to materialize the dream? Who else might be involved with your goal? Do you need to make a plan of action to embark on this next journey?

The questions might be shifted a bit for septuagenarians or octogenarians, but the wanted results are the same. And the inquiries generally remain sorta’ the same for all ages. People of a certain age certainly have gained huge wisdom, and they also want a different lifestyle than a 45 year old. Asking the above questions can help determine directions and eventual ‘how-to’s,’ whether you choose immortality, amortality or just a plain old integrated happy life plan. Most importantly, be true to yourself and allow the childlike wonder within to be your guiding light. Visions never end because we turn a year, or a decade, older. Grace is always with you. Discovery is a daily happening. Please write and share your dreams with me, and if you need a little support, my pleasure is helping others create the perfect “how to do it.”

Just on the other side of these buildings, cement bunkers were built into the rocks, and were fully manned at the time, keeping the Portland harbor safe from possible enemy submarines. But all we knew as kids were what a fabulous playground it made! We played hide and seek, and pretended that we were actual gunners keeping our families free from peril. It was quite exhilarating play time.

But, looking back, what I remember most vividly was the freedom we had to be wildly creative, imagining, discovering — just practicing being for who we were becoming. Now, I use the words “visioning, journeys, personal growth, strategies.” And Portland Head Light was the gift that helped me to become a potent visionary. Sometimes I ask myself if my dad had an ulterior motive for bringing us there, or did he just need some time off himself and knew that we would entertain ourselves for hours.

Whatever my dad’s reasoning was, I have him to thank for all the times he played with us and provided opportunities to create the realities that a child lives within. Regardless of how the years have passed from that time forward, it is these childhood visions and memories that propelled me into the passionate work I do now — helping others uncover those passions of yesteryear, to clarify and define next steps in life, creating the perfect plan of action to reignite steps to the next plateau.

What childhood visions will you uncover this week? I encourage you to take some quiet time and go back in memory to those times of total freedom, the afternoons at the lake, the playground, or wherever. What did you play at? What visions did you have as a child? Can you conjure up just a few thoughts and write a sentence about each one? Perhaps you will rediscover your passionate child’s vision which you will re-incorporate into the adult you, the childlike quality that will reignite your journey. I would love to know what you discover. Please stay in touch!

Creativity Necessary For Strategic Vision

The May 2011 issue of Entrepreneur just arrived in the mail, and an article by John Kao caught my eye: “…A leading expert on business innovation has a radical prescription for any company serious about growth: Play Harder.” I couldn’t agree more, and this is why I’m so passionate about individuals and teams coming to Sedona to brainstorm and create through the Vision Mapping Strategies process. It’s not just about being creative. I’ve witnessed many varieties of personalities and regardless of the make or model, there is always an end goal in the creativeness, a definitive means to the vision.

Perhaps it’s re-tooling to make a better widget, or bringing value to customers, or maybe a baby boomer wanting to discover re-newed meaningful work, or anyone who seeks personal growth. The wanted transformation really doesn’t matter — it’s the ability to see things from a new perspective and to act on that aha that emerges when one is wandering by the river or hiking through an inspiring canyon.

Whenever I hike, or go kayaking in the NW, or meander any place in nature, I always carry notebook and pen because those places where I’m playing unwind all the rules and allow my mind to open to new possibilities, especially if I’ve had a niggling question about a specific item. And it’s true that I usually think in terms of vision maps because the process gives me an edifying pictorial of what my mind is evoking. (Once I caught on to my own process, squiggling on blank paper now seems necessary to sort out ideas.)

Kao has spoken the exact feelings i’ve stated for many years…”It’s about coming up with ideas that have value and execution. There’s a lot of execution in creativity. It’s not just inspiration.”

As a successful entrepreneur and vision mapping coach, I’m always asking people to “go to your edge, out of your comfort zone.” So here’s the question: If playing is not part of your repertoire, are you willing to integrate hard play into your weekly schedule? We all know it’s a necessary ingredient for balance and success. Some people just need permission to play. If you are one of those “someones,” call me and I’ll give you a verbal go for it! And you don’t have to come to Sedona, but anywhere that will free you from distractions and allow the ideas to flow. Please send me some ways that you are playing hard!